Dear readers, I finally used my one-off SkillsFuture top-up credit, which was issued to all Singaporeans aged 25 and above in 2020. This month, I fully utilized the credit by enrolling in two courses.
On paper, $500 may not seem like a lot, but considering that most SkillsFuture courses are heavily subsidized, and applicants only pay the post-subsidized fees, the credit was more than sufficient for me to participate in both courses this month.
I had been holding off using the $500 credit because I wasn’t sure what to study. I wanted to give it careful thought, as I strongly believe that the true value of learning lies in its application. I’m sure many of you would agree.
With the 31 December 2025 expiry of the SkillsFuture top-up credit looming, I finally decided to enroll in two courses focused on Data and AI.
- 1-day course at a local Institute of Higher Learning: I appreciated the well-organized schedule, which included morning and afternoon tea breaks, as well as a complimentary lunch.
- 1.5-day course at a local training SME: While refreshments were limited to instant coffee, tea, and biscuits, I understood the constraints—SMEs have to manage costs carefully. The training space was small but efficiently utilized.
A common theme across both courses was the assessment style: all SkillsFuture courses I attended had open-book assessments, making passing generally achievable. Since these were data and analytics courses, I brought along my personal laptop for hands-on individual and project work.
I recently came across a statistic that only 30% of SkillsFuture credits are used. I believe this is because many people may hesitate to take courses unless they see a clear way to apply the skills in their daily work. It really comes down to one key question for each individual: What do I want next in my career and learning journey? Only they can answer that.
Another perspective is that some may hold off on using the credit, hoping that the government will extend the expiry timeline once again.
Personally, I am very happy and grateful for these two SkillsFuture courses. I gained practical skills and useful knowledge, and I applaud the government for implementing this initiative. In today’s digital age, it’s crucial for employees to continuously upskill. I also feel that taking three days of annual leave for these short courses was well worth it.